Elías Aguirre ’24 (Bachelor of Music in Performance) was selected to participate in the Emerging Artists program at Seagle Festival in Schroon Lake, New York this summer. He will sing the lead role of Rinuccio in “Gianni Schicchi” by Giacomo Puccini, and has also been cast in the ensemble for “Hello, Dolly!” and “Once Upon a Mattress.” He won this opportunity based on the strength of his recorded audition and interview conducted via Zoom.
Founded in 1915, Seagle Festival is one of the most comprehensive training programs in the United States for young singers aspiring to careers in opera. Singers from Seagle routinely make debuts at important opera companies across the United States and in Europe, such as the Met, San Francisco Opera, LA Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Washington National Opera (WNO), Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Wolf Trap, Sarasota Opera, Glimmerglass, Minnesota Opera, as well as Oslo, Frankfurt, Berlin, Toulouse and Glyndebourne. Seagle alumni have also been finalists and winners of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.
The opportunities afforded participants during the summer season are many: house auditions with companies across the United States, masterclasses and panel discussions with guest artists and clinicians, weekly lessons and coachings with artist faculty, and four main stage productions.
The experiences provided to the emerging artists each summer are life-changing and often career-making. The artists make connections with general and artistic directors, artist managers, stage directors, conductors, voice teachers and vocal coaches; these connections remain as they move forward in the profession.
